A great way to get started on finding the right direction with your small business marketing is to really get to know your ideal client. Your ideal client represents an example of your target audience - lifestyle factors, family situation, work, employment, hopes, dreams, plans, etc.

It might seem a little warm & fuzzy on face value, but it actually gives you key insights into how you might seek them out on their terms. It also ensures your marketing approaches with an awareness of their needs and offers them a solution to their problems (rather than hunting them down and demanding they buy stuff now!)

SEO is Search Engine Optimisation. It refers to the way you structure your website to give it the best chance of appearing in 'organic' search results, i.e. those that appear below paid ads.

In general terms, it's important for your website to be structured in a way that makes it easy for search engines - like Google - to browse through your content and show your website to people asking questions related to your products, services or industry.

SEO is important in your website performing well in Search Results, however it's easy to get lost down that rabbit hole and forget about all other marketing that is just as important. Depending on your business & industry this could be print marketing, local publications, radio, networking, events, video, blogging or social media.

Because we specialise in helping small businesses with their websites, and we know you have limited time & resources, we always advise a bigger picture approach to marketing, using that to guide what specific types of advertising you should throw your energy at.

Responsive means your website is designed to respond to the screen it's being viewed on, automatically resizing images and re-positioning text to give the user a better experience on their device.

Don't be fooled - user experience is critical for keeping someone moving through your website, as opposed to getting frustrated because the text is too small and going elsewhere. Also, it's free as it should be an inherent part of the way your website is designed & built.

Rather than thinking about needing a website, what every small business should be thinking about is a sales funnel, which is clear system that leads potential buyers through your marketing, educates them about your product or service, builds a relationship with them and gives them a reason to do business with you.

A website is a really effective way of achieving this, but too many businesses focus on getting the website and not what it's actually supposed to be doing.